Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan launches group to influence CA politics

Source: Hacker News

Overview

Garry Tan, the local venture capitalist who has for years railed against progressive politicians on social media and served as the intersection between tech and center‑right politics in the city, is formalizing his influence operation.

Tan, the CEO of the vaunted startup incubator Y Combinator, announced Wednesday he had spun up a dark‑money group called Garry’s List that he described as a “voter education group” dedicated to civic engagement, voter education and support for common‑sense policies and candidates in a press release. Such groups give donors a way to anonymously support causes without giving directly to a candidate or a measure.

“I want to work to ensure Californians know the importance of investment and entrepreneurship to our state’s current and future economy,” Tan wrote.

As a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, Garry’s List will be able to spend money directly on candidates and ballot measures. It could also print voter guides, host in‑person events, take out ads, and run programs training the next generation of elected officials. Tan said he plans to do all of the above.

Media venture

Garry’s List started with a blog pillorying public‑sector unions as “special interests”, attacking the ongoing teachers’ strike, and denouncing the proposed billionaire tax.

Tan has for years called on tech executives to create “parallel” media and “replace the unelected parts of the system,” like unions and nonprofits. “We need our own machine,” he said in 2023.

Tough‑on‑crime, law‑and‑order politics

Tan has long been a voice espousing tough‑on‑crime, law‑and‑order politics in San Francisco. He has spent nearly half a million dollars in local races since 2015, and is known locally for his brashness: he once tweeted that seven of the city’s supervisors — all progressives — should “die slow, motherfuckers” in a late‑night polemic. The tweet, which Tan said was a joke, prompted hateful mail and police reports.

Statewide ambitions

He is now eyeing statewide change. Tan said he would “take the same education and engagement we used to turn around San Francisco” to all of California, and told the San Francisco Standard that he pined for the “energy that I felt when we were first working on the recall of Chesa Boudin and the school board” in 2022.

The Jan. 27, 2024 post on X from Garry Tan that he said was a joking reference to Tupac lyrics.

The publicist

Sam Singer, the “master of disaster” publicist working with Tan, did not disclose amounts or the source of funds for Garry’s List but said it had received donations from more individuals than just Tan.

“There’s been a large amount of support from, as Garry calls them, ‘radical centrists’ to have an organization like this that is neither Democrat nor Republican, but is a pragmatic, centrist, and common‑sense place,” said Singer.

Singer added that “all 58 counties” in California are “on Garry’s map” and that the group would operate “from the Mexican border to the Oregon border.”

Context: a well‑funded network

Garry’s List is the latest entry in a well‑funded network of political donors that has helped push spending for local elections into the stratosphere.

Similar operations have seen mixed success. TogetherSF, a nonprofit backed by venture capitalist Michael Moritz, crashed and burned after the 2024 elections when its $9.5 million ballot measure to reform the city charter lost to a progressive counter‑measure backed by about $117,000. Moritz subsequently pulled support.

Neighbors for a Better San Francisco, once the top‑spending group in city politics, is still a major player.

Funding Overview

• Tan’s operation raised $1 million last year.
• GrowSF, a former board‑member organization, announced it will spend $2 million in the 2026 election cycle.

Founders

• Co‑founder 1: A seasoned lobbyist.
• Co‑founder 2: A “rough‑and‑tumble” local figure.

Key Players

Shaudi Fulp

• Sacramento lobbyist who leads operations at Grow California.
• Grow California is a political action committee created to oppose the proposed billionaire tax and other issues.
• The PAC is fully funded with $10 million by crypto executives Chris Larsen and Tim Draper.

Forrest Liu

• A 30‑something regular on local political campaigns; began as an intern for former Mayor Ed Lee.
• Known for organizing efforts that protect Asian seniors from street harassment.
• Also described as a bully for actions such as challenging District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan to a fistfight – see the 2024 profile.
• Has faced at least two police reports for harassment, prompting speculation that his political career may be waning.
• Political consultant David Ho commented, “I think Forrest is a type who’s going to burn out really quickly in politics,” in the same 2024 profile.

Garry’s List (501(c)(4) Structure)

• Organized as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, a tax designation that allows the group to bankroll campaigns while affording donors a measure of secrecy – see Mission Local analysis.
• Commonly referred to as a “dark‑money” group because it can spend on elections without revealing all donors.

How 501(c)(4) Rules Work

1. Election‑related spending must be less than 50 % of total funds.
2. The organization may give directly to candidates, but it more often funds independent‑expenditure committees, which can spend unlimited amounts so long as they do not coordinate with the campaigns.
3. The remaining funds must support “social welfare” activities (e.g., voter‑education guides and events).
   • These activities raise the group’s public profile, making the charitable‑spending portion crucial for building long‑term political power, often more so than single‑election donations.

Tan’s Long‑Term Vision

“I aim to stand up political infrastructure for the next 20 years,” Tan told the Standard.